A Change in Plans
by BlueSkyMornings
Summary: Aria finds out she is pregnant and then finds out Ezra is A. Now what?
1. Chapter 1

**I don't really know what going to happen with Ezra, if he's really A, working for A, trying to thwart A. So in this he _is_ A. That is all.**

* * *

Aria stared down at the test in her hands, praying it wasn't true and willing her unwanted result to change. No matter how many times she squeezed her eyes shut and prayed, she would see the same result when she opened them once again.

This was bad.

It doesn't matter if she and Ezra were together or if they were in love. Those details could slightly improve the chances of this turning out alright, but they did nothing to help ease the nawing dread that constricted around Aria like a vine. She was still a teenager. She was still in high school. She was still living under her parent's roof. Ezra was still a teacher at her school.

A was still a threat to her friends and herself.

This was very bad!

At this moment nothing mattered beyond the fact staring straight up at her face. Maybe the reaction of her parents mattered too-she hoped they would still support her. She wasn't worried about her friends. Didn't care to think about them at the moment. Most of all she didn't want to think of Ezra. He didn't matter, she didn't want him to. She didn't want to think about this giant mistake that could claw itself between them. This mistake that could ruin both their lives, and create hardship for the people closet to her heart. At this moment, she wanted to get rid of it, anyone else's opinions be damned. She wanted to take the easy way out, she wanted to hide. Hide from the monster in her closet. She wanted to be that little kid whose biggest fear was a monster, back when her problems could be solved by swaddeling herself in her nice warm, cozy blanket. She wanted this to be a lie or a mistake. She wanted this scary threat gone. Nevermind was she would actually do back in reality-she was stuck in her mind where she could do whatever she wanted. It was safer here, where she could pretend nothing was about to change. Right now, her mind was a safer, warmer, more inviting place than reality.

Getting rid of it was the safest option, especially if her parents-and Ezra, especially Ezra-never had to find out. Adoption was the second best option because the less people who knew about the baby the better for Ezra's job and her if she could find a way to hide the pregnancy from everybody once she started showing-maybe go back abroad until the baby arrived and was given away. However, Aria knew she couldn't give up her own child without regretting it at some point in her life. If she was going to have the child then she was going to raise it! So option two wasn't an option at all.

The last option made her stomach clench and her heart shrivel up in fear. Having this child would mean owning up her mistakes, changing the lives of her and Ezra for better or for worse, growing up, taking care of a life more fragile than a pet, telling her parents, risking getting abandoned by them and facing Ezra. She could always just start showing and let Ezra figure it out. But they were in a relationship and she couldn't lie to his face every day until her bump got too big to hide; or she could and risk Ezra's inevitable rage at her having hid this from him. Avoiding him would then best the favorable option but of course it was also the least possible path of action.

Aria already knew she was keeping the child, which is why she was so scared. This was one of those life changing moments and she wasn't married, wasn't out of college or living on her own, didn't support herself, hadn't even finished high school. Like many unfortunate girls, this was not how she had ever thought her life would go. At least this wasn't a one night stand from something like a drunken trist at some party. At least Ezra had a job and a roof over his head and was capable of being a father-a really good one at that-even if he wasn't quite ready. She wasn't ready either, so at least they were on the same page. Kind of.

Taking a deep breath, Aria stood from where she had been perched against her tub for at least a good half hour. Her body screamed in protest and she moaned as she stretched out the kinks that had formed in her body. Wiping the few tears that had sneaked down her face, she walked toward the counter where she took some paper towels and wrapped the test up, and then stuffed it in a plastic back that she tied shut and buried in her trash can. She did not need anyone (her mom) finding it by accident, before she was ready to come clean.

As she turned to leave, she accidently caught her reflection in her mirror and her breath caught. Her face was puffy and her hair was a mess from where she had constantly run her hands through it in her despair. With tired eyes, Aria turned away from her reflected clone, too emotionally exhausted to care about her appearance. Without another thought to the world around her, she made a beeline toward her bed, seeking the comfort of her warm, fluffy sheets and promptly fell asleep in the toasty bliss while she tried to deny reality for at least a few more hours.


	2. Chapter 2

When she awoke again, Aria found the light spilling into her room was not morning light. Turning toward her alarm clock, she let out a groan. The clock read 12:13 in bright, blaring red numbers. She had slept through half of school and her parents would be on her back about it for sure. Then again that was the last thing she should be worried about, she mused.

She should not have taken the test before school this morning, but she had bought it three days before and had delayed taking it in hopes that she would find out she didn't have to. She had avoided opening the package for as long as she could. But this morning she had opened her medicine cabinet and there it sat, mocking her. There was no way she could get through even one more school day. Not even 7 short hours. Because there would be nothing short about those hours.

Still a little bit tired and mostly just not wanting to get up, she did the only sane thing and rolled over, trying to fall back asleep.

_"Wow Aria, who's the lucky guy?" came a voice from beside her._

_"What!" cried a startled Aria, who jumped a little as she turned to look at the voice beside her, and found herself staring into the eyes of her friend._

_Hanna pointed to something below Aria's eye level. "That! I asked who's responsible for that."_

_Brow furrowed, Aria looked down to where Hanna was pointing and saw nothing. "Han, what are you talking about?"_

_"Oh please," came Hanna with an eye roll. "You can't exactly hide it anymore Aria. You're clearly showing."_

_"What!" squeaked Aria. She looked down and saw a huge belly had suddenly appeared. In her panic she tried to pull down her shirt over her bump, but everytime she blinked it seemed to get bigger. "I'm barely 2 months along. This isn't possible!"_

_All of a sudden Aria looked like she had swallowed a watermelon._

_"This isn't true! I'm not pregnant!" Aria reached desperately for Hannah, but as she grabbed Hanna's arm and turned to her, Ezra was in her place instead. Just as suddenly, Aria became aware of several students around her and all of them were gawking or laughing or sneering her way._

_"Why are you crying?" asked Ezra._

_"What?" Aria reached a hand up to her face, and sure enough felt the moisture of her tears._

_"Don't cry." cooed Ezra._

_"But they're all staring at me and laughing! How is that not bothering you?" cried Aria, with a desperate gesture to the students milling around them. Nevermind that the hallway completely lacked any lockers or doors._

_"What students?" laughed Ezra._

_"Your students! My classmates! Everyone!" she wailed._

_"Babe, I don't see anyone." said Ezra, making a complete 360 as he looked about. "It's only you and me, Babe."_

_"But Ezra, can't you see them mocking me." Aria swiped at her nose, which felt slightly runny now._

_"I just see you Aria," said Ezra, encircling Aria in his arms. "And our little one, of course. No one else matters." With that said, he leaned down and kissed her._

_At first she gave in but then remembered she was at school and shoved him back._

_"Ezra! What are you doing?" she hissed._

_"Kissing my girl, of course. Relax," he smiled his warm, easy smile that almost melted her heart. "Everyone knows about us, everything is okay, Aria."_

_"They know? Everything?"_

_"Yes," said Ezra, his smile never faultering on his face. "Everyone knows it's your fault. It's all your fault. I lost my job, had to move because I couldn't afford my apartment, I've lost everything, and every single part of that is your fault." But Ezra's smile never left his face, and instead he said it like it was the best thing in the world. Suddenly Aria couldn't breathe. How could she have let this happen? What had she done?_

_"Ezra, I'm sorry! I'm so, very sorry!" cried Aria, tears streaming freely down her face. Her heart pounded a mile a minute and all she wanted to do was wake up. This had to be a dream! She nearly doubled over from lack of breath, and as she looked up at Ezra his face suddenly turned into a scowl._

_"Wake up, Aria!" came a harsh cry. Aria blinked. It came from Ezra, but it was a girl's voice. "Aria, wake up! You're dreaming!"_

_"Wha-" all of a sudden the world blurred around_ her and disappeared. She opened her eyes with a moan and, blinking several times, focused her eyes on a face too close to hers for comfort. Big blue eyes stared back at her, and they gave a heavy, relieved sigh.

"Thank God you're awake!" exlaimed Hanna-the real one this time. Without stopping to see if Aria was taking everything in, she went on in one breath. "Are you okay? Your mom didn't want me to come and check on you because she said you needed your rest, but I snuck by her and came on up anyway. When I got here you were trashing like crazy." At that moment, Aria noticed that she was indeed completely tangled in her soft bed sheets. "We were all worried about you, espically Mr. Fitz! He's been so worried since Ravenswood. I wonder whats got him so wired-not that that matters right now. Are you okay? Seriously?"

"Uh..." said Aria, whose mind was working too slowly to process everything. She sat up a little and rested against her headboard. "Yeah. I'm okay. What are you doing here?"

"Checking to make sure you're not dead. Doesn't look like it. My job here is done!" Hanna said with a smile. When she saw Aria didn't return her smile, it dropped from her face in a flash. Her hand went up to Aria's forehead and Aria gave only a weak, halfassed attempt to swat it away. Hanna's frown deepend. "You don't feel like you have a fever or anything."

"I don't. I'm just really tired."

"Your mom said ou've been feeling sick lately. I think that's the only reason she's not mad you skipped school. Careful going down there, she's turned into a mama bear!"

This time Aria managed a small, weak smile and the girls lapsed into a long silence.

Hanna's phone went off and she looked at the screen, then gave Aria a grimace. "I have to get back home. Mom needs me for something stupid, I'm sure. But hey," she put a hand on Aria's knee. "Let me know if you need anything. And I mean anything. The stupidest, smallest thing is okay." With one last comforting squeeze of Aria's knee, Hanna reluctantly stood up and left the room, closing Aria's door softly behind her.

Content that her mom wouldn't be bothering her for a while, and knowing she didn't need anymore sleep-or want it after that nightmare-Aria sat straight up against her headbord and wiggled around to find a comfortable position. When she had finally found one, she reached over to her nightstand and picked up one of the novels she was currently reading. As she flipped to the bookmarked page and began reading, the terror and lingering negative feelings of her dream slowly left her and she grew more and more relaxed. Aria loved reading-there was no better way to escape your life and live in another one without carrying your fears and problems with you, and that was exactly what she needed right now. A last moment of peace.


End file.
